Neil Young, formerly part of iconic folk rock supergroup Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young, is hailed as one of music's greatest. He's blended folk rock with country in innovative ways for decades, his music the blueprint of budding artists today. Loved by millions, Neil Young's music could be found on streaming platforms the world over...until 2022.
When Joe Rogan's podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, spread misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccination, artists like Joni Mitchell and Neil Young called for the removal of their music from Spotify. In a short-lived movement, these artists hoped to make a statement. To "stick it to the man", if you will.
Many of the artists who pulled their music from the platform have since returned. Because, at the end of the day, Spotify is the #1 streaming platform in the world. With the most users and traction, thousands of artists thrive on the app. Artists like Neil Young became popular at times when revolutionizing through music was the edgy, popular thing to do...however, Spotify is a misdirected target in this situation. Get mad at Joe Rogan for saying it.
And recently, Neil Young announced he is returning to "low res" Spotify via his website, Neil Young Archives. He states,
"Spotify, the #1 streamer of low res music in the world - Spotify where you get less quality than we made, will now be home of my music again. My decision comes as music services Apple and Amazon have started serving the same disinformation podcast features I had opposed at SPOTIFY. I cannot just leave Apple and Amazon, like I did Spotify, because my music would have very little streaming outlet to music lovers at all, so I have returned to Spotify, in sincere hopes that Spotify sound quality will improve"
As the #1 streaming platform in music, that means you lose a lot of streams from removing your discography from the app. Coincidentally, Neil Young is releasing an album with Crazy Horse on April 20, 2024 called F##IN' UP -- a perfect time to return to the app if you ask me.
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